Friction brakes have found use in safety devices designed to arrest or limit the rate of fall of a person or object. Such safety devices may include e.g. lifelines, self-retracting lifelines, fall arrestors, fall limiters, descenders, and the like. Often, such safety devices use a friction brake that incorporates a ratchet ring, in combination with one or more centrifugally-actuated pawls that are capable of engaging with the ratchet ring of the friction brake.